Sleigh.



' Patented lune 4, I901. r. s. RAMSEY.

8 L E l G H (Application filed Mar. 27, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet (No Model.)

No. 675,569. Patented June 4, I90l. F. S. RAMSEY.

SLEIGH.

(Application filed Mar. 7. (N0 Modal.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Utrrrn ra'rns PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK S. RAMSEY, OF SMITHVILIJE, NEIV YORK.

SLIEIGH.

SPEGIFICLATIGN forming part of Letters Patent No. 675,569, dated June 4, 1901.

Ap li ation filed March 27, l9 0l. Serial No. 53,100. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, 2'20 may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK S. RAMSEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Smith ville, in the county of Jefferson and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Sleigh, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to sleighs; and the primary object thereof is to provide a vehicle of this character that is especially designed for training and racing horses upon ice and snow. It will be readily understood that an article for this purpose must embody all the points that are necessaryto a successful racing-sulky for use on the turf. In the first place the driver must be as close to the horse as possible, so that he will have complete and immediate control. The draft should be as light as possible and in a direct line, so that there is no side motion or sluing. It should also be rather low to avoid the jar and sway or horse motion. Furthermore, it should combine lightness with stability, and therefore must have as broad hearing as is possible or consistent with necessarily-constricted width of the vehicle, so that there is comparatively little danger of tipping over while making short turns. In addition to these several features the rider should be so situated that he is free from the snow or ice balls that are thrown from the rapidly moving feet of the animal. It is therefore the aim of the present invention to provide a sleigh that will embody all the above-describedfeatures. Thepreferred construction thereof is fully described in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings; but it will be understood that this construction may be modified, if desired, provided such modifications are within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the sleigh. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3is a vertical longitudinal sectional viewon the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. iis a detail view of a guiding device that may be used in connection with the sleigh.

Similar numerals of reference designate similar parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

In the construction shown two runner-sections 10 are provided, each having a runner 11, an upwardly curved front portion 12, which is bent backwardly at its upper end and is secured to the forward end of a horizontal longitudinally-disposed rail 13. The rails of these sections are connected by transverse stringers 14:, that are upwardly arched at their central portions and are in turn connected by a central bar 15. Connecting the two runner-sections is a pair of arched supports 16. These supports are paraboliform, being secured at their lower ends to the runners 11 and having their upper portions projecting above the transverse stringers 14:, to which they are secured at their crossingpoints. Their upper portions are arranged closer together than their ends, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and a seat 17 of suitable construction is secured to and connects the apices thereof.

Diagonally-disposed raves 18 connect the front portions of the runners 11 with the horizontal rails 13 at their junctions with the front stringer 14, and braces 19 likewise connect the rear ends of the runners and the rear stringer 14. Suitable rods 20 and 21 extend, respectively, from the under sides of the front and rear arched supports to the ends of the front and rear stringers, and bowed angle-braces 22 and 23 likewise connect the inner sides of said archedsupports and the under sides of the stringers. In like manner the apices of the arched supports are braced by rods 24: and 25, that are secured to the under sides of the upper portions of said sup ports and are arranged in divergent relation and fastened at their lower ends to the upper face of the transverse stringers. Suitable tie-rods 26 are also secured to the innerfaces of the raves and are connected to the front stringer 14:. By this construction an exceedingly-strong frame is provided which is eX- trernely light. Connected to this frame are the thills 27, which have their rear portions bent downwardly, as at 28, and passed between the front aud rear stringers 14 on the inside of the horizontal rails 13. Their inner and lower ends are pivotally secured to the legs of the forward arched supp0rt,about midway between the runners 10 and the side rails 13, y means of suitable horizontal angle-brackets 29, which are fastened to said supports and to the raves 18 and have hingeare fastened.

rear ends, to which said thills It will thus be seen, especially by referring to Fig. 3, that the pivot-point is below and slightly to the front of the center of the frame. A bowed horizontally-disposed cross-bar 31 connects the thills and carries a whiffletree 32. Suitable depending foot-stirrups 33 are located at the junctions of the cross-bar and thills. A tie-brace 34:, furthermore, is connected to the upper rear portion of each thill and extends and is secured to the pivoted end of the same, thus preventing the expanding or springing of the bowed portion. Suitable stops 35 in the form of straps are secured to the runners and thills, and thus support said thills when not in use.

In connection with the frame there may be provided, if so desired, a guiding device 36, which is in the form of a knife pivoted intermediate its ends to one of the runners and has an operating-cord 37 connected thereto and extending up the frame to a position where it may easily be grasped by the driver. When there is danger of the sleigh sluing, the cord may be pulled and fastened to hold the knife downwardly and in engagement with the track. By actual experience, however, this has been found unnecessary under ordinary conditions.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present construction possesses all the advantages and necessary qualities of a racing-sleigh. In the first place the entire front is open, as shown in Fig. 2, practically asifar back as the seat, so that the rider will be directly behind the horse. At the same time the runners are comparatively long and extend on each side of the animal, thus giving a comparatively stable base-support and reducing to a minimum the liability of tipping over. Because of the position of the pivot-points of the thills a slightly-upward draft is given to the frame, thus lessening the friction on the runners, and on account of the arrangement of the thills between the runner-sections there is nothing outside the runners to strike or be struck by an obstruction, and it permits the horse being placed farther backtoward the driver. Finally, the entire structure combines the important features of strength and rigidity with lightness and simplicity.

From the foregoing 'it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages of the herein-described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without further description, and it will be understood that various changesin the size, shape, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim isv 1. In a sleigh, the combination with spaced runner-sections connected at their rear poreyes 30 at their tions and disconnected at their front ends to leave an open space therebetween, of a seat located between the connected portions, and thills pivoted at their rear ends to the runner-sections and located between the same.

2. In a sleigh, the combination with spaced runner-sections connected at their rear portions and disconnected at their front ends to leave an open space therebetween, of a seat located between and above the connected portions, and thills pivotd to the inner sides of the runner-sections intermediate their upper and lower edges and located between the same.

Inasl'eigh, the combination with runnersections, of supports connecting the runnersections in the rear of the front ends thereof leaving an open space between said front ends, a seat mounted upon the supports, and thills pivotally connected to the inner sides of the runner-sections and having their rear portions located between the same.

4. In a sleigh, the combination with runners having upturned front ends, of arched supports connecting the runnersat their rear portions leaving an open space between the front ends thereof, a seat mounted on the upper portions of the arched supports, and thills pivotally attached to the inner sides of one of the arched supports and having their rear portions located between the front ends of the runners.

5. In a sleigh, the combination with runners having upturned ends, of arched supports connecting the runners at their rear portions leaving an open space between the front ends thereof, a seat mounted on the upper portions of the arched supports, thills having downturned inner ends located between the arched supports and pivotally connected to one of them, and foot-stirrups carried by said thills.

6. In a sleigh, the combination with spaced runner-sections each comprising a runner upturned at its front end and a rail secured to the upturned end of the runner, arched supports connectingsaidrunner-sections and hav ing their uppermost portions located above the same, a seat located upon and connecting the uppermost portions of the arched supports, and thills pivotally attached to the arched supports'and having their rear portions located between the front ends of the runner-sections.

- '7. In asleigh, the combination with spaced runner-sections, each comprising a runner upturned at its front end, and a railsecured to the upturned end of the runner, of string ers connecting the rails of the runner-sec tions, arched supports also connecting the runner-sections and having their uppermost ports, and thills pivotally attached to the arched supports and having their rear portions located between the front ends of the runner-sections.

8. In a sleigh, the combination with spaced runner-sections, of a seat located between the runner-sections, thills having downwardly-curved ends which are pivotally connected to the runner-sections, and braces extending from the pivoted ends of the thills to intermediate points thereof.

9. In a sleigh, the combination with spaced runner-sections, each comprising a runner upturned at its front end, and a rail secured to the upturned end of the runner, of stringers connecting the rails of the runner-sections, arched supports also connecting the runner-sections and having their uppermost portions located above the stringers, a seat located upon and connecting the uppermost portions of the arched supports, and thills pivotally attached to the arched supports and having their rear portions located between the front ends of the runner-sections.

10. In a sleigh, the combination with spaced runner-sections and spaced top rails, of transverse stringers conn ceiling the said rails,transverse arched supports connecting the runnersections and having their'upperlnost portions projecting above the stringers, the stringers and the arched supports being joined together at their points of intersection, substantially as described.

11. In a sleigh, the combination with spaced runner-sections connected at their rear portions and disconnected at their front ends so as to leave an open space therebetween for the horse to travel between the runner-see tions, of a rigidly-mounted seat located above the connected portions of the runner-sections, and the thills having their rear ends disposed Within the plane of the runner-sections and pivoted thereto in rear of the front ends of the runner-sections, whereby the horse is brought back close to the drivers seat.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signaturein the presence of two witnesses.

M. A. RAMSEY, E. MoN'rAoUE. 

